Avila Goes Hollywood

It’s not everyday you get to sit at a table with LL Cool J, Chris O’Donnell, and other high profiled actors.  It’s not everyday you get to sing happy birthday to Mr. Cool J himself, and it’s not everyday you get to play apart in one of CBS’s best TV shows since 2009.  Not very many people can say they have done or get to do any of those three, but for Theophilus Clark, 2004 Avila University graduate, he’s considered the few.

            A communications major with a focus in advertising, Theophilus (Theo) had high outlooks on life after college, joining the NBA, being a millionaire, and acting.  When the NBA fell short after hurting himself his sophomore season with the Avila men’s team, he started to have a different outlook on life, “After I got hurt, I started to look at other opportunities outside of basketball to new endeavors,” he said.  That’s when acting set in.  After working a few jobs out of college and unsuccessfully finding his niche, Theo asked himself a simple question, “What do I want to do that I’m going to be happy with,” and in May 2011 he packed up and headed west where dreams come true.  Hollywood.

            Harvey MacKay said it, “Find something you love to do, and you’ll never work a day in your life,” and for Theo that was acting.  Starring in a few commercials in Los Angeles, he was most noted for his rolls in Kansas City’s Blue Cross & Blue Shields commercials, but his big time break was and will be his first speaking role as Los Angeles Police Officer Leonard on CBS’S NCIS: LA. 

            It’s only right to have nerves walking into a table read with famous actors, but for Theo it was all business. “Everyone was very welcoming, and you could feel it was a pleasant environment,” he said about the table read, “but when it comes down to filming it’s no different then writing for a newspaper, you have deadlines so there’s no margin for error.”

            When you make it big you always have to look back and think about the people that got you to where you are, and when asked what professor he learned the most from, three stood out to him.  “I definitely took different lessons from different professors at Avila, however a few that impacted me on a personal level were Stan Banks (English department), Dottie Hamilton (Communications) and Linda Strelluf (Communications).”

            Being from New York to moving to Los Angeles, Theophilus has seen his fair share of trial and tribulations, but with his faith in God and the outlook to go out and have fun with what you love and believe in, life will lead you down the right path.  For Theophilus he’s right where he wants to be.

           

*Theo’s episode “Fish Out of Water” will air February 25^th at 8 pm/c on CBS